Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-17
THE RAGPICKERS.
ONE ELEMENT OF The POpUlk-
TON OF A GREAT CITY.
Zine Blood Owners of Horses and
Wasons-Aristocratso of the Hand Cart.
Kumnaserz Of Morning and Night.
Life Near ehe Dumps.

Rumnssers Of Morning and Night
| Life Near che Dumps.
| Ragpickers form very important els-
nlent Of the busy population Of q great city
Ike Brooklyn, and careful observation OF
! their methods VIII reveal some curious and
| interesting facts. They are properly di-
! yided into four distinct classes, each haTin.
q separate field of action and seldom IL
| fringing upon tie territory Of the other Givis-
| ions OF the fraternity. The first class, who
| could quite properly bs called the upper ten
Of ragpicker1om, includes the itinerant deal
ers who conduct their business By means Of
dilapidated looking horses and wagons. They
would undoubtedly Indignantly resent their
| classification with ordinary ragpickers, but
| candor compels me TO name them rs such.
| They pay en- annual license fee OF 8 for the
| privilege Of buying the city's rubbish.
They pay e higher price for goods than
tie men who Fropei the handcarts, and fire.
ouently hire shops OF their own for assort-
| ment and storage Of their purchases They
generally carry on e thriving business, ard
from long experience and acquaintance
know where the choicest rags are found.
They have regular dates for calling on small
tailoring establishments II order 10 secure
the cuttings and trimmings which are too
small to BE- used by rag manufacturers.
They also get the pickirgs OF small shirt
factories, printing houses, book binderies
and score of similar establishments.
TEE EAED CART ARMY.
The second class comprises the army Of
hand cart dealers vino can bs seen every
day pushing their trucks, adorned with
- -
and toned bells, along in front OF them.
They are avaricious in their dealings, man
age TO live in moderate circumstances, and
are willing TO purchase g number O. articles
which most people classify as rubbish. But
what is rubbish TO some people-irol and
other metals. bones and old 3rpets and 4 nul
titude OF similar articlas--is thus bought By
the thousands Of pounds dali. Tbs class
is always well posted ii the tricks OK the
trade, and have CERTAIN streets which they
have drumnlei for years. BY long expert
ence they learn which Of their customers
VIII sell his rags st any price, and which
viii heg-le with them over TIE last penny.
They often find unexpected treasures IN
their purchases, and rarely return anything
valuable that thus comes within their clutch.
We now come TO the third class OF rag
pickeIs, who are by far the most aggressive
in their methods. I refer 20 the Turnmagers
who are abroad early il the morning and
late at night, overhauiing our ash cans and
ash barrels. They are mostly Italians, and
carry huge bags and q long iron hook, not
unlike stove poker. They are numbered
By the thousands, are almost unacquainted
with the laws and customs Of this country,
live Ii the poorest class Of tcnenents, and
by the most stringent econAny and indus
try manage TO save up quite respectable
bank accounts. The inborn passions Of the
Italian race are but little modified By our
climate, or by contact with our people, and
fatal ARRAYS are Of frequent occurrence
among them. They are clannish, preserve
heir national customs, subsist on the cheap
st food and endure privations and hard
Hips that would XII nine out of ten CT our
native population. This class take every
thing from q barrel that their hooks viii
drag forth-old boots, shoes, hats, rags.
fragments Of carpet, bottles, corls, horse
hair, feathers, paper, wood, coal, cigar
stubs-indeed everything except ashes aid
clinkers Often the barrels Of brown stone
fronts yield rich finds to these delivers.
A PLETEOEIC BUNDLE
One day I saw Z sTsTthy fellow stop be-
fore half dozen barrels grouped On the
sidewalk before Clinton avenue house, and
haul forth article after article, anon.
which were the following: 4 Turkish rig
which was not IN sh-eis b. any means, and
which undoubtedly saw subsequent service
in the finders bedchambe-; an old lat
which was Immediately substituted Tor a
dilapidated cap On the finders head; old
shoes, rags and articles OF tin ware, which
were thrust into ms roo:rly bag, aud 81 ap-
pie and crust OF bread, which, after few
preliminary polishes On mllord's soiled coat
sleeves were ravenously devoured. Ee
had arrived at tbs spot with bag having q
decidedly emaciated appearance, but left
with q plethoric bundle, under whose weight
De could hardly stagger.
Harvest time with al rag p:ckers comes
IN the spring. For then it is that houses
ere cleaned, families move old carpets are
thrown away, old garments are discarded
ard thousands OF articles fad their way to
ire tee-n;ng .sh barrel Brooklyn pays about
$4,000 annually for the removal C is
ashes, ana last year over 2G1 coo loads were
ca-ted to tbs 10, lots which abound Il
South Brooklyn and elsewhere. Il Is mar
these dumps, IL miserable bowels, that tie
last, but by no means the least. class CO tAis
graft family OF ragPickeTs dwell They are
up be.irnes II the morning awaiting tic ar-
rival OF the ash carts hike rs many vultares
would await the coming q prey, and no
carri0n crows ever plunGei their taIo-2s n
TIE carcass Of dead COW with more vo-ac-
ity than these people settle down 70 2 frouzT
examination Of tho ash heaps. 4 person
would suppose that Lttie reE1ains II the
sshes after the runnaEing Of TIE Italian
street pickers- But men, women ard cl.il-
3ren b. the hundreds work there with bag
ani basket from sunrise 70 sunset. Cd
coal scuttlss, pets, kettles, pans broken
crocbery, hats, caps, bocaets, cas-. CT gar
mentS feathers, coal, wood and nClttudes
o. similar articles are taken 70 tie finders
shaaties and cleaned and repaired for per
sonal U.s. Old metal, rags, pare-, bon x,
bottles tin cans and scraps O. tn, hair.
co-ks, bits OF leather and rope are carried
away foE assortment and salc,-Brooklyn
Eagla
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